Illuminator



Patented Apr. 25, I899. J. H. SPBAGUE.

ILLUMINATOR.

(Application filed Apr. 1 s, 1898.)

(No Mo'daL) n1: nonms PETERS co. mo-rom'na, wAsHmawN. n. c.

Erica.

JAMES H. SPRAGUE, OF NORlVALK, OHIO.

ILLUMINATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,576, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed April 1 8, l 8 9 8.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Illuminator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminators of that class popularly known as Chinese lanterns, in which a candle or its equivalentis employed in connection with a collapsible covering or envelop, and it is more especially designed as an improvement upon the device disclosed by United States Letters Patent No. 410,613, granted to me on September 10, 1889.

One object of the present improvement is to obviate the necessity for passing the adjusting-stem through a hole in the cover at one side of the head-block, so as to obviate the wear on the cover, and this is attained by providing a central opening in the head-block. The stem is arranged to' pass through the head-block in central relation to the illuminator so as to suspend the latter in a vertical position, and said stem is connected to the foot-block at different points, so as to distribute the strain equally on the foot-block and bring the strain in the line of the vertical axis of the illuminator.

A further object of the invention is to provide the foot-block with means for catching and retaining the grease which-drips from the candle when it is lighted to prevent the grease from overflowing into the illuminator and soiling the cover thereof, and the candle is arranged for insertion or withdrawal quickly through the foot-block, to which said holder is connected detachably.

With these ends in view myinvention consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved illuminator. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail Serial No. 678,075. (No model.)

perspective view of the foot-block detached from the collapsible frame. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the candle or torch holder. Fig. 5 is an end view of the torchholder applied to the foot-block to show the relation of the locking device.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

Theilluminator is designated in its entirety by the numeral 1, and, broadly stated, it consists of the foot-block 2, the head-block 3, the ribs 4, forming the elastic collapsible frame, and the envelop or covering 5. This envelop or coverin gis made of a series of gores 6, of fabric or other suitable material, and said gores may be of the same or different colors if it is desired to impart a variegated appearance. The gores are sewed together along their meeting edges, and they are attached to the ribs 4 of the collapsible frame at the points indicated by the numeral 7. Each gore is preferably attached to one rib at two points by the threads or stitches, as shown; but these details may be varied within the skill of the constructor. The ribs e1 of the collapsible frame are attached to the head and foot blocks by the bands or rings 10, and to properly fit the ribs to the blocks I provide each block with a series of longitudinal grooves 8 in its annular face and a single circumferential groove 9, which intersects with the series of longitudinal grooves. One end of the series of ribs is loosely fitted in the longitudinal grooves 8 of each block, while the ring 10 is threaded through eyes or loops at the ends of said ribs, and it is housed or contained within the annular groove 9, whereby the ribs and their attaching-ring are disposed compactly with relation to the block.

The frame and envelop are held and adjusted by the operation of an adjusting-stem 11, one end of which is attached to the footblock and the other end passes loosely through the head-block; but this head-block is designed to have locking engagement with said.

impart a certain amount of stiffness to the stem; but at the lower end of the stem the wires are separated to form the branches 12, the extremities of which are suitably fastened to the foot-block, thus distributing the strain of the stem on the foot-block. The upper end of the stem is formed into a loop or eye 14-, by which the illuminator may be readily suspended, and said stem passes loosely through a vertical aperture 13 in the headblock b.

The locking contrivance for holding the elastic frame and the envelop in their distended positions consists of a shoulder 15 on the stem and a locking-bridge 16, which is attached to the head-block to span the opening 13 therein. The locking-bridge 16 is formed of a single piece of strong wire, which is curved or bent at its middle to form the seat 17, and the ends of this bridge are rigidly secured to the under side of the headblock, so that the bridge is housed or contained within the collapsible frame and envelop thereof. The shoulder 15 on the lock ing-stem is formed by bending or doubling the stem upon itself at a point intermediate of its length, and this shoulder is adapted to rest upon the seat of the bridge 16, as shown by Fig. 2, to hold the frame under tension and maintain the envelop in a taut smooth condition.

\Vhen the shoulder of the stem is released from engagement: from the bridge 10, the clasticity of the ribs 1 causes the frame to collapse and fold compactly around the stem, and in this adaptation of the frame the en velop folds therewith, so as to remain in a loose collapsed condition around the ribs to which they are attached. Then the frame is collapsed, the ribs straighten out and the head-block is forced toward the loop or eye on the upper extremity of the stem; but to use the illuminator the head-block is forced along the stem in a direction toward the footblock, thus expanding or curving the ribs of the collapsible frame and stretching the envelop. When the illuminator is opened or distended, the stem slides through the Vertical. aperture of the head-block, and it is adjusted for its shoulder 15 to engage with the bridge 16, thus maintaining the ribs under tension and the envelop in its distended taut condition.

The foot-block 2 is formed with a vertical opening or passage 18 for the insertion and withdrawal of the candle or torch holder 19, the latter being adjustable by hand for the insertion in or removal from the footblock in any adjustment of the collapsible frame and envelop. The torchholder consists of a block or stem, which is provided at its upper end with a thimble 21, that protrudes beyond the end of the stem and forms a socket adapted to receive a candle or torch. The length of the torclrholder and its thimble 21 is such that the thimble extends above the upper face of the foot-block when the torch-holder is fitted thereto, and this foot-block is provided with a band 22,consisting, preferably,of a single piece of metal bent into the annular form shown and attached to the circumference of the foot-block 2. The diameter of the band 22 is greater than the thimble 21 of the torch-holder, and when the latter is fitted and secured to the footblock an annular space 22 is left between the band 22 and the thimble 21 to form a well or receptacle for the accumulation of grease which may flow from the candle supported by the torch-holder, thus preventing dripping of the candle-grease from the bottom of the illuminator when the latter is in service.

The torch-holder may have the candle or torch therein lighted and thrust the footblock when the envelop is in its extended position, and said torch-holder is adapted to be securely locked in position on the footblock by a locking-spring 24, with which engages a locking-pin 23, which is fixed to the torch-holder near its lower end. The locking-spring is preferably bent from a single piece of stout wire to form a shank 25, adapted to be inserted in and secured to the footblock on the lower face thereof, and this bent wire forms an arm 26, which is curved to bring its free extremity quite close to the lower face of the foot-block. In inserting the torchholder through the aperture of the foot-block it is moved endwise until its pin 23 abuts against the foot-block, after which the holder is turned to press its pin past the curved extremity of the locking-arm 26, said arm engaging with the pin to prevent the torchholderfrom dropping out of the foot-block. To release the torch-holder from the footblock previous to withdrawing it from the illuminator, it is necessary to turn the holder a sufficient distance for its pin 23 to clear the end of the bent arm 26, after which the torchholder may be withdrawn endwise from the foot-block.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be observed that I have provided simple devices for locking the collapsible frame in its distended position and for securely holding the torch-holder in position on the foot-block. The devices are arranged for easy manipulation, and they serve to hold the parts securely in the adjusted positions. The stem for adjusting the collapsible frame is arranged centrally within the illuminator. Hence the pull of the stem is in a direct line between the head and foot blocks. The locking de- -vice for the torch-holder is on the outside of the illuminator and its foot-block, so that the operator will always have the locking device in sight in inserting or removing the torchholder.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as clearly fall within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is I 1. An illuminator comprising a head-block having a central opening, a foot-block, the ribs, a cover, and a single twisted stem passing centrally through the opening in the headblock and having its strands separated and attached to the foot block at equidistant points, and means for fastening the stem on the head-block, substantially as described.

2. An illuminator comprising the headblock having a central opening, a keeper fastened to the head-block within the illuminator and arranged in the plane of the Vertical axis of said opening in the head-block, a footblock, ribs connecting the head and foot blocks, a cover, and a single operating-stem passing through the opening of the headblock, attached rigidly to the foot-block, and having a catch or shoulder to engage centrally with said keeper, the other end of the stem extending outside of the illuminator and terminating in means for suspending the article,

' substantially as described.

' An illuminator having a centrally-perforatedfoot-block, an annular grease-well fast with the foot-block and extending up-- wardly therefrom, and a removable candleholder fitted in the opening of the foot-block and having its candle-receiving socket surrounded by the grease-well, substantially as described.

4:. An illuminator having a centrally-perforated foot-block, an annular grease-well fast with said foot-block and extending upwardly therefrom, a locking-spring attached to the lower face of the foot-block, a candleholder having a socket-thimble and fitted in said foot-block for said thimble to be surrounded by the grease-well, and a lockingpin attached to the candle-holder and engaging with the locking-spring, substantially as described.

51 An illuminator comprising a head-block provided with a central opening, a foot-block, a single stem attached. to the foot-block and passing through the central opening of the head-block to lie in the plane of the vertical axis of the illuminator, said stem having a notch at a point below the head-block, the ribs, a cover, and a keeper fastened to the head-block across the central opening therein and disposed Within the cover for engagement by the notch in the stem, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses: i

O. W. WILLIAMs, H. A. GALLUP. 

